A pall of bank holiday torpor lay over the town of Carlow, and virtually the only sign of life was the crowd of people waiting outside the Royal Hotel for the arrival of Dana, Rosemary Scallon.
They broke into a rather patchy rendition of All Kinds of Every- thing as she arrived, and inside the hotel a guitarist sang Phil Coulter's tribute to Derry, The Town I Love So Well.
The national draughts tournament was taking place in the hotel, and competitors swelled the number of well-wishers waiting to assure the candidate of their support.
Bernard Caesar introduced himself as a bee-keeper as he gave her a jar of his honey. "It's very good for a sore throat," he told her. He also assured her of the support of his two harpist daughters, at present on tour in the US.
His wife, Patricia, explained their support. "I hope she does win," she told The Irish Times. "We have no one to speak for us, the people who feel that if they speak up they'll be labelled. There are a lot of us, far more than is given credit for.
"The two main parties suffer from tunnel vision. They should open their ears. You should not be pushed to the side because you have a different opinion from others."
Asked to specify, she said: "Profamily life and against abortion."
But surely all the main parties were pro-family life and against abortion? "They only pay lip service."
Patricia Caesar was also critical of the media's treatment of Dana, especially that of RTE.
Bill Walsh, an elderly man recovering from heart surgery, put it more trenchantly: "You put the two great hoboes in RTE in their place," he told her. "Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny. I hope you win."
"I prayed for the Holy Spirit to come on you that night with Vincent Browne," Lilly Whelan told her.
Her audience in the street traders' market was less deferential. "Would you like a nice TV, love?" asked Sally Flynn. "Would anyone like a Nicam stereo? I'm giving them cheap today now Dana's around. Touch one of them TVs, Dana. People might buy one. Watch this now," she urged shoppers, as Dana obliged by touching some of her wares.
At a nearby stall another trader, Willie Farrell, tried to persuade her to buy an item of female underwear. "You have to have the craic," he said.
Later Dana addressed about 70 people, as usual mainly women and mainly middle-aged, at a meeting opened by an Irish dancing display by pupils of the Donoghue School of Dancing. "I can't believe this is nearly the end of the campaign. I wouldn't have missed the last eight weeks for anything," she told them.
"I believe this is the beginning of something in Ireland, because I've met so many people like you. I want to assure you you need no longer feel you don't have a voice. You need no longer feel marginalised or irrelevant in any way. There are thousands and thousands of people like you throughout the country.
"These people are the salt of the earth and they've been meeting each other. I believe we have seen changes over the past eight weeks.
"All over the world it's recognised that love of family and strength of family are what makes a strong nation," said Dana. "An open caring, sharing society, that's what we want."
As she spoke, she was interrupted by a man at the back calling "Dana, Dana. Can I say something?"
Members of the audience urged him to be quiet but she said: "Of course you can, love."
"What is this Celtic Tiger?" he asked.
"It's the name they've given to Ireland now it's in the 10 top economies in the world."
"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer," he said.
"That's quite right. What's your name?"
"Patrick."
"I think Patrick may have had a little drink. But don't get upset with him," she told the audience. "He's saying what a lot of people think."